Things finally beginning to click for Jay Cutler?

Thursday

Dec 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMDec 31, 2009 at 6:27 PM

Little has clicked in Jay Cutler’s first year in Chicago. His 3,390 passing yards are second in Bears’ history. But that’s 1,136 fewer than he had in Denver last year, with one game still to play at Detroit (2-13) on Sunday. And, thanks to his league-high 26 interceptions, Cutler’s 73.6 passer rating is no better than that of recent Bear quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, Bob Griese and even Chad Hutchinson.

Matt Trowbridge

Jay Cutler called for Devin Aromashodu to run deep. Aromashodu started to but then pulled up short.

Just like Cutler wanted.

“He was able to slam on the brakes and I was able to hit him,” Cutler said of the 33-yard pass-and-run play to Aromashodu on the first play of overtime in Chicago’s 36-30 upset of Minnesota on Monday night.

Cutler has always supported the little-used Aromashodu, who had been cut four times by three teams before sticking with the Bears this year. “He’s got a big body and a lot of speed,” Cutler said.

More importantly, he and Cutler have a natural feel for each other.

“Some guys and some combinations, it just clicks,” offensive coordinator Ron Turner said.

Little has clicked in Jay Cutler’s first year in Chicago. His 3,390 passing yards are second in Bears’ history. But that’s 1,136 fewer than he had in Denver last year, with one game still to play at Detroit (2-13) on Sunday. And, thanks to his league-high 26 interceptions, Cutler’s 73.6 passer rating is no better than that of recent Bear quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, Bob Griese and even Chad Hutchinson.

But that doesn’t mean trading two first-round draft picks and Orton for Cutler is a bust for Chicago. It just means the Bears must find a way to get the best out of Cutler in the future.

The easiest way to do that is to earn to ad-lib together.

Cutler, far more than previous Bears quarterbacks, refuses to give up on a play when it doesn’t go according to plan. He simply switches to Plan B. That means if All-Pro cornerback Charles Woodson is in front of Aromashodu in the end zone, Cutler throws behind Aromashodu. Because the man the Bears call “DA” expected it, the well-covered play still went for a touchdown against Green Bay.

The same thing was true of Aromashodu’s 33-yard catch Monday against Vikings Pro Bowl corner Antoine Winfield, who was playing deep.

“I just sat it down,” Aromashodu said. “We had been talking about doing things like that and I finally got the opportunity to do it. It was supposed to be a deep ball, but he (Winfield) got out of there, so I just shut it down.”

“Three games ago,” Turner said, “we wouldn’t have hit that play.”

Three games ago is when DA got his first start. Turner mentioned DA’s TD catch against Woodson as another one of those adjustment plays Cutler is constantly talking to his receivers about.

“Jay does a good job of talking to those guys that, if you are not going to get behind them, expect the back shoulder throw or expect me to stop you with the ball,” Turner said.

Aromashodu said “70 percent” of all pass routes are adjustments. “That’s why we come out and practice. We mess up in practice. That way, when the game comes, we have it down.”

Not always. Not even usually. Cutler threw at least three passes to tight end Greg Olsen last week that Olsen either didn’t expect, or broke away from. That’s also been a frequent problem with his other three top receivers: Devin Hester, a converted kick returner, and Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox, both of whom never caught an NFL pass before this year.

“We can’t run past everybody in this league,” Cutler said. “Sometimes (defenders) are going to bail out and we are going to make adjustments. When these guys start learning how to do that, the sky is the limit for them.”

And for Cutler.

When, and only when, Chicago’s quarterback and receivers read and make the same adjustments will the Bears get their first Pro Bowl passer since 1986.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Turner said of the importance of clicking together on adjustments in the passing game. “Very rarely can you just run down and turn around and catch the ball. There’s defenders out there and they are giving you a lot of different looks. Each week the look is different. Each play the look is different.”

And each passer and receiver is different.

“One quarterback may want you to go deep,” Aromashodu said. “One may want you to come back. It’s different for each quarterback. It will take some time. It will take making some mistakes in game situations for you to correct it. We’ve got a smart group here. Eventually, all will get it and we’ll all be on the same page.”

Chicago’s top six receivers are all 26 or younger. So is Cutler. Three of those receivers had never caught a pass for Chicago before this year. Cutler had never thrown one. The growing pains were long and painful. But the promise of better times lie ahead.

“This is a young group,” Cutler said. “They are going to get there.”

Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or mtrowbridge@rrstar.com.